Ice cube makers



Sept. 12, 1961 D. E. MacLEQD 2,999,371

ICE CUBE MAKERS Original Filed July 1, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i so I I? I 7! l-sa 1 I IL 1.3

1 l 5 x l H 1 I I 2 4 r n T F 32 4g m I FIG. I FIG. 3

INVENTOR.

DAVID EARLE MACLEOD.

ATTORNEY.

Sept. 12, 1961 D. E. M L EOD ICE CUBE MAKERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 1, 1950 INVENTOR.

DAVID EARLE MACLEOD.

ATTORNEY.

2,999,371 ICE CUBE MAKERS David E. MacLeod, Syracuse, N.Y., assignor to Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Original application July 1, 1950, Ser. No. 171,593, new Patent No. 2,775,098, dated Dec. 25, 1956. Divided and this application June 1, 1956, Ser. No. S8,820 4 Claims. (Cl. 62-347) This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 171,593, filed July 1, 1950, now Patent No. 2,775,098, entitled Ice Cube Maker and Control Mechanism Therefor, and relates to ice making apparatus in which ice is formed in a plurality of refrigerated, hollow, vertical tubes by flowing liquid through the tubes and, more particularly to ice making apparatus of this type including mechanism for distributing Water in the tubes over the interior wall surfaces.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide ice making apparatus in which ice is formed in a plurality of refrigerated, hollow tubes by flowing liquid through the tubes and including distribution means for distributing liquid over interior walls of the tubes.

An object of the present invention is to provide a water distributor to direct water against the interior wall of a hollow, ice forming tube. Other objects will be readily perceived from the following description.

This invention relates to ice making apparatus in which ice is formed in a plurality of refrigerated, hollow, vertical tubes by flowing liquid through the tubes and includes liquid header means for supplying liquid to the tops of the tubes, said header means including liquid supply means to discharge liquid into the tubes, and liquid distributors placed in the tubes, each distributor including a distributing member disposed in a substantially horizontal position with respect to the tube in which it is placed, the supply means discharging liquid against the distributing members of the distributors, each distributing member directing the liquid against walls of the tube in which it is placed.

This invention further relates to a Water distributor to direct water against the interior wall of a hollow, vertically extending tube which comprises an element disposed in a substantially horizontal plane against which the stream of water is directed and means to suspend the element within the tube.

The attached drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention in which FIGURE 1 is a plan view, the casing being removed, of the device of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view in elevation, the casing being removed, of one side of the device; 7 7

FIGURE 3 is a view in elevation, the casing being removed, of the opposite side of the device;

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic view of the refrigeration circuit;

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view of the water c-ircuit;

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical circuit for the control; and

FIGURE 7 is an isometric view of the water distributor.

Referring to the drawings, there is disclosed an ice cube maker which includes a machine compartment 2 and an insulated ice storage compartment or bunker 3 placed below the machine compartment. Preferably these compartments are formed as separate elements being attached to one another when the ice cube maker is assembled at the place of use in order that the machine compartment may be utilized with bunkers of diiferent capacity. It will be understood of course that the machine may be formed as a single unit if desired.

ire States Patent Machine compartment 2 includes standards 4 and braces 5 forming supporting framework. Decorated removable metal sheets 6 are attached to the frame to form the walls of the machine compartment. Compartment 2 may be insulated to prevent condensation on the surfaces of sheets 6. Storage compartment 3 is provided with an opening through which ice enters the storage compartment 3 after formation in machine compartment 2. Removable and/or hinged lids 8 are provided to permit easy access to and removal of ice from compartment 3 for use.

The machine elements are placed and supported in compartment 2. Such elements include the ice forming members, the refrigerating and harvesting systems, the water supply system, the controls, and an electrical circuit connecting the controls.

The ice forming member 9 includes a plurality of vertically extending tubes 10 formed of stainless steel, tubes it) having a plurality of copper bands or rings 11 placed about the exterior thereof, the bands 11 being spaced from one another longitudinally on the tubes. The copper bands may be preformed and secured to the tubes by a friction fit or, if desired, molten copper may be sprayed on the tubes to form the bands, or, the tubes may be plated with copper bands. Tubes 10 are assembled in two parallel rows and an overflow trough 12 is placed between the parallel rows for a purpose hereinafter explained.

Each tube 10 is formed from a single sheet of metal in such manner that its side wall 13 inclines downward and outward substantially uniformly throughout the length of the tube so that the opening 14 in the bottom of the tube is greater in area than the opening 15 in the top of the tube. Two adjacent side walls have flanges extending outwardly therefrom, the flanges being pressed together and welded, for example, to form the tube. The top of each tube is formed with a pitcher lip 16.

The evaporator 17 of the refrigeration system is formed of a plurality of coils 18, 19, 20, 21; coils 18, 19 being secured to the bands 11 on opposite sides of the first row of tubes 11} while coils 20, 21 are secured to the bands 11 on opposite sides of the second row of tubes 10. If desired, coils 18, 19, 20, 21 may be flattened on one side to assure a greater area of contact with bands 11.

The ice forming member 9 is more fully described and claimed in the copending application of Carlyle M. Ash ley, Serial No. "171,621 filed July 1, 1950, now Patent No. 2,775,096, to which reference is made for a more complete description.

Below the ice forming member 9 is an inclined deflector or guide 212 on which the pieces of ice fall from tubes 10 during the harvesting operation and down which the ice slides into the opening of bunker 3. Deflector 22 may be a suitable screen or grid to permit water to pass there-through while preventing passage of ice cubes. Water from the tubes passes through deflector 22 into a sump as hereinafter explained.

Referring to FIGURE 4, there is shown the refrigerating and harvesting circuit of the ice cube maker. Such circuit includes a thermal hermetic compressor motor unit, the compressor 28 being actuated by motor 29. Compressor 28 is connected by discharge line 30 to condenser 31, preferably water cooled, although if desired, an air-cooled condenser may be employed. Liquid line 32 includes two capillary tubes 33, 34 adapted to serve as expansion means to regulate supply of liquid refrigerant to evaporator 17. A strainer and drier 35 may be placed in line 32 between condenser 31 and capillaries 33, 34. Other expansion means may be employed if desired. Capillary 33 supplies refrigerantto coils 18, 19; capillary 34 supplies refnigeranttocoils 20, 21. Each 3 capillary as shown in FIGURE 4 is connected to a return bend 36 at approximately the central point between the two coils to which it supplies refrigerant.

Refrigerant passes from. each of coils 13, 19, 26, 21 into a return header 37 for return to compressor 23. Header 37 is connected by line 38 to accumulator 39. A line 40 connects accumulator 39 to a second accumulator 41. Accumulator 4 1 is connected by suction line 42 to the compressor 28. Accumulator 4 1 is also connected by a drain line 43 to motor 29 to permit oil and liquid refrigerant in accumulator 41 to pass to the motor. Line 4-3 must be as short and as friction-free as possible to offer less resistance to refrigerant flow than the main line 42. This is an important feature since any liquid refrigerant draining from accumulator $1 with the oil is returned to compressor 23 over the heated coils of the motor, thus flashing the refrigerant to assure that gaseous refrigerant only returns to the compressor, thereby avoiding excessive wear and tear of compressor elements.

Capillaries 3'3, 34, are wrapped about accumulator 39 in heat exchange relation therewith. In addition, the

capillaries may be placed in heat exchange relation with line 4ft if desired.

A heated refrigerant vapor line 44 connects the top of the condenser 31 with a supply header 45 connected by lines 46 to coils 18, 19, 20, 21. A'solenoid valve 47 is placed in line 44 and closes the same to the passage of heated refrigerant vapor. It will be appreciated line 4-4 may connect header 45 with the compressor 28 or line 3% if desired, to permit heated refrigerant vapor to be supplied to coils 13, 19, 2d, 21 to melt formed pieces of ice from the interior walls of tubes 10.

In FIGURE 5, the water distribution system is shown diagrammatically. Line 50 conducts water from a source of supply (not shown) to a sump or reservoir 51 place in the bottom of machine compartment 2 below tubes 16 and deflector 22. A float valve 52 regulates the level of water in sump 51. A drain line 53 may bleed a minor amount of water continuously from sump 51 thereby preventingconcentration of minerals in water in the sump. A pump P circulates water from sump -1 through lines 54 to water headers 55 placed above the rows of tubes it).

Water from headers 55 is discharged against distributors 56 placed within tubes 16, the distributors directing or guiding the water toward or against the interior walls of tubes 10. The water flows through tubes in contact with the interior walls thereof, through deflector 22, and returns or falls into sump 51. The water, of course, is cooled by its passage through the refrigerated tubes ill to substantially freezing temperature. Thus cooled or chilled water not formed into ice is continuously recirculated through tubes 10 to reduce the time required for ice formation and to increase the capacity of the machine.

A distributor 56 is present in each tube 1 d. Distributor 56 (refer to FIGURE 7) includes a plate portion 63 against which the stream of water from pipe 59 is directed. Protuberances 64 extend from opposite sides of plate 63 to space the plate from the interior wall of tube 10. Legs 65 extend upward from the remaining side of plate 63. Legs 65 terminate in flanges 66 adapted to rest upon the end of tube 10. Each leg 65 includes a portion 67 extending inward and upward from plate 63:, a second portion 68 connected to portion 67 extending upward and outward therefrom, and a third portion 7% connecting portion 68 with flange 66. This construction of the legs prevents water climbing upward along the retaining'members thereof to the top of tube 10.

The passage of water through tubes Ill is ultimately prevented or retarded by the formation of ice in the tubes. The tubes overflow, the lip 16 on each tube directing the water into trough '12 from whence it takes a different path to return to sump 51. The overflow water in trough 12 drains therefrom through a line 71 connected to an S-shaped pipe arrangement 72 which forms 4 an overflow well. Water from well 72 returns to sump 51 through line 73. Well 72 contains an open leg 74 which is connected to line 71 as shown in FIGURE 5. Leg 74 of well 72 is clamped in contact with the heated refrigerant vapor line 44 of the refrigeration system for a purpose hereinafter explained.

To control the refrigeration and harvesting cycles, a wide differential thermostatic control is provided which includes a switch lever 81 (refer to FIGURE 6) actuated by a thermal responsive system including a bellows 32 connected to the switch lever 81 and a capillary tube 83 connecting bellows 82 with a bulb 84. The thermal responsive system contains a temperature responsive fill. Bulb 34 is placed in well 72 and a portion 83 of capillary tube 83 is placed in contact with suction line 42. Preferably portion 83" is placed in contact with the portion of suction line 42 adjacent compressor 28 to assure that it is affected as little as possible by liquid refrigerant or wet liquid vapor flooding back to the compressor 28. When water overflows from trough 12 into well 72 it displaces water present in well 72 and gradually cools bulb 84 until it becomes the coldest point of the thermal responsive system, thereby governing thermostat 80 from such point. Switch lever 81 is accordingly moved from a first position to a second position to discontinue operation of pump P and to actuate the solenoid S of valve 47, to open the heated refrigerant vapor line 44 to supply heated refrigerant vapor to coils 18, 19, 20, 21 to thaw formed pieces of ice from the interior walls of tubes 10.

During the harvesting operation, the heated refrigerant line 44 warms the water in well 72 so that the control point shifts to portion 83' of capillary tube 83 which is in contact with the suction line 42. Refrigerant passing through the suction line is below the cut-in point of thermostat 80 so long as ice remains in tubes 10. As the last piece of ice is removed from tubes =10, temperature in the suction line rises to the cut-in point of the thermostat, the thermostat then being actuated to start pump P and to discontinue current How to solenoid 8, thereby closing valve 47 and resuming the refrigeration cycle.

A second thermostat control 87 is provided to discontinue operation of the refrigeration system and the pump when a desired quantity of ice is present in the bunker. Control 87 includes a switch lever 88, a bellows 8? connected by capillary tube 90 to a bulb 1 placed in bunker 3 adjacent the top thereof. A suitable fill is present in bellows 89, capillary tube 90 and bulb 91. When a predetermined quantity of ice is present in bunker 3, bulb 91 is cooled, thereby actuating thermostat 87 to open the circuit to control 80 and the compressor 28, discontinuing operation of the system. Upon removal of ice from bunker 3, bulb 91 warms to a point at which thermostat 87 is again actuated to close the circuit, permitting supply of current to actuate the compressor and control 80.

Preferably a high pressure cut-out control 92 is provided as a safety control, control 92 being responsive to head pressure to shut down the system upon the occurrence of a pressure so high that it might harm elements of the system. In FIGURE 6, I have shown the electrical circuit connecting the various controls and actuating elements of the device. A manual double pole singlethrow switch or single pole, single throw switch 93 is employed to actuate the device. The remaining elements are connected in the circuit as shown.

As previouslydescribed, a water-cooled condenser 31 is employed for the refrigeration system. Condenser 31 may be connected by a line 94 to line 50' to supply water to condenser 31. Preferably an automatic control valve 95 is placed in line 94 and is connected by line 96 to compressor 28 to permit head pressure to be applied to actuate valver95. The water passing through condenser 31 is thus regulatedin response to head pressure.

Considering the operation of the device, manual switch 93 is closed thereby actuating motor 29 to operate compressor 28 of the refrigeration system and pump P to supply water from sump 51 to header 55 for distribution in tubes 10. Water flows downwardly through distributing tubes 59 to each tube and strikes distributor 56 therein, distributor 56 directing the water toward the interior wall of the tube. Water flows downward over the interior wall of each tube 10 and returns to sump 51. The walls of tubes 10 are refrigerated in spaced portions by means of coils 18, 19, 20, 21 and the copper bands 11. Thus water flowing through the tubes is cooled and within a short time separate pieces of ice begin to form within the tubes 10 adjacent the refrigerated portions thereof. As ice formation continues, within a short time the spaced pieces of ice present in the tubes are so large as to impede or retard passage of cooled water therethrough so that the tubes overflow into trough 12.

Water from trough 12 flows through line 71 into overflow well 72 displacing the water therein and cooling bulb 84 so that it becomes the control point. When a predetermined low point is reached thermostat 80 is actuated, moving switch lever 81 from a first position to a second position, discontinuing operaton of pump P and passage of water to tubes 10, and actuating solenoid S to move valve 47 to an open position permitting heated refrigerant vapor to flow into coils 18, 19, 20, 21 to melt the formed pieces of ice form the interior walls of tubes 10, simultaneously water in well 72 being in heat exchange relation with line 44 is heated to shift the control point of thermostat 80 to capillary tube portion 83'.

Capillary tube portion 83' does not become sufilciently warm to actuate thermostat 80 until all ice is removed from tubes 10 since it is in heat exchange relation primarily with liquid refrigerant condensed by heat exigange of the heated vapor with the formed ice in tubes Ice drops from tubes 10 by gravity upon deflector 22 and slides into bunker 3 through the openings in the bunker. After the last piece of ice is removed from the tubes, the hot vapor passing into suction line 42 raises the temperature of the fill in capillary tube portion 83'. thereby actuating thermostat 80 to move from its second position to its first position closing the solenoid valve 47, resuming refrigeration of tubes 10, and starting pump P to supply water from sump 51 through tubes 10.

The refrigerating and harvesting cycles repeat automatically until a predetermined quantity of ice is formed. When a predetermined quantity of ice is collected in bunker 3, thermostat 87 is actuated to break the electrical circuit, discontinuing operation of the machine. Upon removal of ice from bunker 3, thermostat 87 is again actuated to begin operation of the machine.

The present invention provides an economical automatically operable ice cube maker in which liquid to form the ice is satisfactorily distributed over the interior walls of each tube. The distributor is quickly and easily manufactured of low cost and very effective in use.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention it will be understood my invention is not limited thereto since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with an ice making apparatus in which ice is formed in a plurality of refrigerated hollow vertical tubes by flowing water through the tubes and including header means for supplying water to the tops of the tubes, the header means including water supply means to discharge water into the tubes, water distributors adapted to be placed in the tubes, each distributor ineluding an element disposed in a substantially horizontal plane against which the streamof water is directed, protuberances extending from opposite sides of the element to space the element from the interior wall of the tube, legs extending upward fromthe remaining sides of the element terminating in flanges adapted to rest upon the end of the tube, each leg including a portion extending inward and upward from the element, a second portion connected to the first portion extending upward and outward therefrom and a third portion connecting the second portion with the flange.

2. In a water distributor to direct water against the interior wall of a tube, the combination of an element disposed in a substantially horizontal plane against which the stream of water is directed, protuberances extending from opposite sides of the element to space the element from the interior wall of the tube, legs extending upward from the remaining sides of the element terminating in flanges adapted to rest upon the end of the tube, each leg including a portion extending upward and inward from the element, a second portion connected to the first portion extending upward and outward therefrom and a third portion connecting the second portion with the flange.

3. In combination with an ice making apparatus in which ice is formed in a plurality of refrigerated, hollow vertical tubes by flowing water through the tubes and including water header means for supplying water to the tops of the tubes, the header means including supply means to discharge water into the tubes, distributors placed in the tubes, each distributor comprising an element disposed in a substantially horizontal plane against which the stream of water is directed, each distributor directing the water against the walls of the tube in which it is placed, at least one leg-like member to suspend the element within the tube, said member being supported by the tube, and protuberances extending from opposite sides of each element to space the element from the interior wall of the tube.

4. In combination with an ice making apparatus in which ice is formed in a plurality of refrigerated, hollow vertical tubes by flowing water through the tubes and including water header means for supplying water to the tops of the tubes, the header means including supply means to discharge water into the tubes, distributors placed in the tubes, each distributor comprising an element disposed in a substantially horizontal plane against which the stream of water is directed, each distributor directing the water against walls of the tube in which it is placed, at least one leg-like member to suspend the element within the tube, said member being supported by the tube, and spacing means integral with said distributor and extending from opposite sides thereof to space the element from the interior wall of the tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,279,239 Boyle Sept. 17, 1918 1,694,370 Burdick Dec. 11, 1928 1,776,483 White Sept. 23, 1930 2,239,234 Kubaugh Apr. 22, 1941 2,295,088 Kleucker Sept. 8, 1942 2,424,441 Edmonds July 22, 1947 2,618,129 Williams Nov. 18, 1952 2,700,280 Henser Ian. 25, 1955 2,701,452 Hopkins Feb. 8, 1955 2,753,932 Eckstrom July 10, 1956 2,775,096 Ashley Dec. 25, 1956 

